Australia’s shadow defence minister James Paterson says military aircraft could be deployed to evacuate Australians from the Middle East if commercial flights are unable to operate safely in the region.
Speaking to Sky News Australia, Paterson said the security situation had become increasingly difficult for civilian aviation, particularly after reports of missile strikes affecting airports.
He said the volatile environment meant the government should be prepared to consider alternative evacuation options if commercial carriers were unable to continue flights.
“If those commercial options are not available, then every other option needs to be considered, including using ADF assets to repatriate Australians if that’s necessary,” Paterson said.
The Australian Defence Force has previously been used to evacuate Australian citizens from overseas conflict zones, including military-led evacuation missions during major regional crises.
Paterson said the opposition would support such a move if the government determined it was required.
“We have used military planes to evacuate Australians from conflict zones,” he said.
“And if that’s necessary in this instance, if it’s possible in this instance, then obviously the government will have our bipartisan support.”
His comments come as the government continues to coordinate evacuation flights for Australians attempting to leave the Middle East amid escalating conflict.
Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong confirmed earlier that three additional commercial flights had been scheduled to bring Australians back to the country.
However, Wong cautioned that the rapidly changing security situation meant there was no guarantee the flights would depart as planned.
She said conditions in the region remained volatile, with the safety of passengers and aviation operations continuing to be closely monitored.
The government has urged Australians in affected areas to register with consular services while officials work to arrange safe travel options for those seeking to return home.
